Fireworks - Sightseeing at Night

Fireworks between 1977 and 1982 would release five studio albums, and one live recording. Then after this one the "band" would break up. From what I've read Marty McCall was Fireworks. The members of the "band" would come and go and each album would change. Guitarist Jerry Gaston was fairly consistent though, and on Sightseeing at Night co-wrote a number of the songs with Marty.

Marty was a respected singer, and when Michael Omartian produced Christopher Cross' debut, I remember seeing Marty's name on the back cover as a backing vocalist. I knew about Fireworks, I'd just not heard them. 

The early '80s was an interesting time for Christian music. The hippie dippy side of the Jesus movement was embracing the business side of the equation, and even the major labels were paying attention and either working out co-distribution arrangements or putting albums out on their own imprint. For Fireworks, being able to say you were on a major like MCA, even if it was MCA Songbird was a pretty big deal, and I suspect there was some pressure to deliver a hit.

Now, I'm not sure I spelled it out earlier, but this was my first experience with Fireworks, and frankly I was pretty excited to hear what I'd missed all those years ago. Pulling out the insert with the lyrics and credits there was also a small brag sheet as well.

The first thing that greeted my eyes was:

The Band: Fireworks:
The Voice: Marty McCall
The Music: Explosive

Okay, the hyperbole runs a little thick, but it's a brag sheet, it's supposed to be a little thick. It got thicker ... Sightseeing at Night is a kaleidoscpic burst of rock 'n' roll that's as commercial as any album I've ever heard on AOR or Top-40 radio. An excellent example of crossing all barriers - Kip Kirby Nashville Bureau Chief, Billboard Magazine.

Well, if this didn't get my hopes up nothing would.

Speaking of the band, other than Marty on vocals, and Jerry Gaston on guitars, there was Dave Kurfman on bass, and to my surprise Louie Weaver was on drums. From Randy Matthews to Petra that guy got around.

The album opens with "I Got News for You" and no, it's not a cover of an old Randy Stonehill song, it's an honest to goodness riff rock song. This was actually sort of unexpected. The song was pretty solid, but soon the album more of less settles down into middle of the road territory more than the harder edged AOR of Toto IV that also came out in '82.

There wasn't anything disagreeable here, it was pleasant, and yes one could argue there was just enough edge here and there to qualify as AOR. As to being commercial, that's a hard one to comment on as let's face it, striving to be commercial was almost the other side of the coin to being artistically credible. You were one of the other. You sold out, you were commercial. You stuck to your guns and principles and didn't sell records you were an artist.

Christian music was an already marginalized sub-genre with it's own goofy set of rules and expectations that had to balance ministry, artistry, and try not to suck (so much suckage, it was a terrible time for good music). I have to give it up though, Fireworks didn't sound terrible, from that perspective they were as commercial as anything out there. Funny how not sucking was the equivalent of being commercial.

I was always curious about Fireworks, and I'll be honest this was better than I expected, but let's be frank - there were no fireworks to speak of but I'll be giving it a few spins before I put it away.